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OX Safe
Emergency Key Safe Installations in and around Melbourne
In today’s world, everyone wants to ensure their doors are securely locked. You always hear news and stories about home invasions and break-ins, this adds to people’s feeling of insecurity. Good security locks can give you a peace of mind and keep your place secure, but they will also make emergency services more difficult to access. It is possible that you live alone and have been in an accident or had a medical emergency. If your place is locked up tight, the ambulance will waste valuable time. Because of this, we’ve seen a significant rise in emergency key safe installations in and around Melbourne.
Emergency key safes, also known as emergency key boxes, can come in handy should an emergency situation arise. These emergency key safes are simple to use, and provide exceptional security when it’s installed properly. They should be placed near the main entrance door in most cases.
Here at Safeguard Locksmiths, we stock a wide variety of emergency key boxes for your purchase and installation. We stock the most popular key box brands such as ABUS, KIDDE, Burg Wachter, and Yale. These brands are often chosen for their balance between price and quality. When attaching the key safes to the wall, we often use stronger screws to ensure it is securely installed.
It is also possible to mount the emergency key safe to a concrete or brick wall. If this is required, we use the latest masonry anchors available in the market. Our emergency safes are weatherproof and can work in even the most extreme weather conditions.
Depending on the brand and size, emergency key boxes can cost anywhere from $50 to $100. The cost of installing the safe varies depending on where you live and how difficult it is to secure the key safe to the wall. For further information, give us a call on 1300 723 796 to discuss your requirements with our certified professional Locksmiths
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Front Door vs Back Door
Front Door vs. Back Door: Assessing the Security of the House
You recently purchased a new property, or moved into your new rental. You updated the lock and felt safe and secure. But one day, your house is broken into and all your possessions have been stolen, leaving you to wonder how it happened. The front door seems to be in good condition!
This is the point at which you realise you haven’t updated the lock on the back door, garage door, window locks or the veranda door. Unfortunately you’re not alone.
When our Locksmith is hired to do a security evaluation of a home or company, he or she often finds a reasonably new lock on the front door and extremely old locks anywhere else. Since owners often use the front door, it seems reasonable to keep it as safe as possible. However, if you honestly think about it, how often do you hear about a burglar breaking into the house through the front door?
Every 2-5 years, we suggest assessing the security of a house, which includes every door, window, and entrance point, as well as every lock and key. Since even a minor thing, such as a rusted barrel, can pose a significant security risk.
Our Locksmiths here at Safeguard Locksmiths are qualified professionals who can identify the weakest point in your property and propose a cost-effective solution for securing it. A lock replacement isn’t always required, sometimes an update of the existing technology is sufficient.
For a peace of mind, contact us today on 1300 723 796 to book in a property security assessment.
A Piece of Locksmithing History: Department of Prison N.S.W.
Imagine buying a lock off the main gate at the State Penitentiary, Long Bay for only $1.This great part of our locksmithing history was donated to us by A.S. Harris Lock & Key Maker from Marrickville NSW.
This lock certainly meant a lot to Brian Harris who over the years serviced this regularly for the State Penitentiary, Long Bay.
When it was time to renovate the gaol in the 1960’s and replace the gate Brian was able to purchase the lock from the State Department of Prisons. Brian was invoiced in 1966 for the grand sum of $1.
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The Origins of the S&G Time Lock
The first time lock for bank vaults
Sargent & Greenleaf prides itself on a tradition of quality and innovation which stretches back to 1857. It was in 1873, using parts from locks and two kitchen clocks, James Sargent created the first time lock to be installed on a bank vault door.
He personally connected the time lock to the vault door of the First National Bank in Morrison, Illinois, on May 26, 1874. This lock continued to secure the vault for nearly forty years until the bank was remodeled and a larger vault was built.
James Sargents’ tireless efforts and clear vision of what makes for good security were responsible for the success of his young company. These same qualities continue to drive Sargent & Greenleaf today.
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Innovation of the past – Ilco 178U
Are you old enough (or cool enough) to remember the Ilco 178U and its descendants?
Aubrey Johnson brought the first Ilco 178U into Australia in 1932, and this very special machine is pictured here. The word spread quickly, and soon all the other locksmiths eagerly wanted to get their hands on one.
The manufacturer’s sales leaflet claimed a skilled operator could make 200 keys per hour, and we reckon an Aussie locksmith could do even more. The space and depths were controlled by interchangeable metal discs, one for each. You had to supply your own motor, and any consideration to OH&S was years away.
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The History of LSC
LSC was established in 1926 by Aubrey Johnson, it was originally known as A.F. Johnson & Co.
After Aubrey returned from the World War with some unusual and colorful experiences, he worked for his uncle in an ironmongery in Richmond, Melbourne. Aubrey put in a lot of hard work and eventually bought his own ironmongery business in Victoria Street, North Melbourne.
Aubrey is a pioneer of the industry. He continued to research the world absorbing everything he could about the locksmithing industry, with a goal in mind to bring the latest advancements to Australia. This included the first code cutting machine for cylinder keys in Australia.
In the 1930’s, Aubrey began importing specialist locksmith products, however the Second World War slowed the shipping from Europe and the US. by the late 1940’s, Aubrey’s son, Stuart Johnson joined the company and became the force that drove the company in the direction of pure distribution specialising in locking and security products. Stuart travelled throughout Australia and New Zealand, dedicating a lot of his time to demonstrate and sell the products his Father imported from overseas. The business performed particularly well, and by the 1950’s it was doing even better than ever, thanks to the passion and commitment Stuard had for the locksmithing industry.
Indeed, Stuart was an integral part in the development and professionalisation of this young Locksmithing industry. He was a founding member of the Master Locksmiths Association, and even taught locksmithing at the original Tech School during the evenings.
Aubrey and Stuart built the foundation of LSC. They have always worked hard, going the extra mile for customers, shown honesty and respect. This is still LSC’s philosophy today. In this fast paced digital age, personal long term relationship is something LSC values dearly.
The pioneer spirit is still the core of the business today with Mark Johnson’s entrepreneurial drive. Mark encourages and empowers his staff to innovate and work towards the best. Always underpinning LSC is their unbroken commitment to supporting and reinvesting in the future of security and lock industries.
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The History of ADI
ADI The Easy Choice for Professional Locksmiths
When you ask any professional Locksmiths what ADI means to them, the answer you would get is “reliable, unique, heavy duty and tough”. This reputation is achieved by ADI from over 50 years of their commitment to producing quality Australian made products and its dedication to local manufacturing.
Since its establishment in the 1970’s, ADI has been inventing and designing specialised locking products needed by professional Locksmiths. ADI listens to requests and reviews from the industry, and creates products that were needed and didn’t exist in the market. ADI strives to produce better looking, smarter, unique and more cost effective locking solutions for the Locksmiths industry.
ADI has been setting the benchmark for many years, and continues to produce iconic looking products while supporting local manufacturers. Some popular products from ADI include the 504 lockable bolt, the SL5 Slimline Lock Bolt, and the 444 Block Locks.
The ADI lockable bolt has been one of the main products supplied by ADI. It was originally invented in 1975 by Peter & Brian Preddey and produced at Preddey’s Locksmiths in Miranda, Sydney. They named it “Preddey Bolt”, and it was initially produced to fill a need for this type of locking device that was not available in the market at the time.
In 1978, Brian created ADI Mobile Locksmiths, where ADI was short for “Automotive Domestic Industry”. Later that year, Preddey Bolt made the name change to ADI bolt.
In 1982, the ADI bolt production moved to Gerringong and remained there until 2015. Now it resides in Brooklyn Victoria.
Over the years, ADI range has made some cosmetic changes with different production materials, however what remains unchanged is the heavy duty lockable bolt. The ADI products have always been recognised for its consistency in quality and reliability. ADI is still proudly 100% Australian made and owned, and remains the easy choice for professional Locksmiths.
The History of the Abus Diskus Padlock
The first Diskus lock in 1949
Abus was a 25 year old family company, already famous in Germany when it launched the world’s first “Diskus” lock in 1949.
Looking to offer extra security and a way to protect the shackle, August Bremicker and his family company turned the traditionally shaped padlock into a circular plate-shaped lock, and named it Diskus.
At the time it was produced with a double – bit key, but the attention to the small details which made the diskus padlock a world wide smash hit remains today.
From the 1960’s it was produced with a pin tumbler key, and along the way such features as the anti-slip, positive shackle locking clutch was introduced, and a laser seam welding (right around the diskus lock for 310 degrees).
Today the Diskus padlock design is much copied the world over, but never bettered. Still made in the same factory first built in 1929 in Hegestrasse, Volmarstein, the ABUS Diskus padlock has stood the test of time.
Here at Safeguard Locksmiths, we supply a range of various types of High Security Diskus Padlocks. If you need more information, please call us on 1300 723 796 to discuss with one of our Security Specialists.
